Every year on June 12, the Philippines celebrates its Independence Day to commemorate the country’s freedom from Spanish rule.
Over the years, movies depicting crucial points in our nation’s rich history have come out—some of them good, others poorly made, to say the least.
And with the country set to mark the 124th anniversary of the historic occasion, we list down five movies inspired by historical events that are worth watching again or revisiting.
JOSE RIZAL
The late Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s take on the life of Jose Rizal to this day remains a must-watch for those wanting to learn more about the life of the revered Filipino hero.
Released in 1998 and produced by GMA Films, Jose Rizal takes a look back at Rizal’s extraordinary journey and life that was unfortunately cut short at the age of 35.
Cesar Montano leads the all-star cast that also includes Chin Chin Gutierrez, Ronnie Lazaro, Gloria Diaz, Pen Medina, Gina Alajar, Kidlat Tahimik, and Joel Torre, among others.
Jose Rizal dominated various award-giving bodies following its release, most notably the Metro Manila Film Festival where it raked in 17 awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Musical Score.
Where to watch: GMA Life TV, GMA Network’s international lifestyle channel, will screen Jose Rizal on June 18 to mark the hero’s 161st birth anniversary.
Heneral Luna
Director Jerrold Tarog puts the spotlight on the life of the brave and temperamental army general, Antonio Luna, in this biopic released in 2015.
Veteran actor John Arcilla assumes the character of the Binondo-born general whose brilliance on the battlefield was on full display during the Philippine-American War.
Produced by independent production company TBA, Heneral Luna was both a critical and commercial success, thanks to word of mouth and social media.
Heneral Luna won numerous awards, including Best Picture from Luna Awards 2016, Best Cinematography at the 39th Gawad Urian Awards, and Highest Grossing Historical Film of All Time at the 2016 Box Office Entertainment Awards 2016.
It also garnered nominations at the 10th Asian Film Awards: Best Actor, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
Where to watch: Netflix Philippines, TBA Studios YouTube channel.
Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral
From one brave general to another.
The success of Heneral Luna inspired TBA Studios to flesh out another historical biopic film, this time on the life of the Filipino young general, Gregorio del Pilar.
Like Antonio Luna, Gregorio fought and led Filipino troops during the Philippine-American War.
To give justice to the role, actor Paulo Avelino reportedly took horseback riding lessons and kept an eye on his weight throughout the film’s production.
More importantly, Paulo devoted ample time reading volumes of books and documents about Gregorio del Pilar to study the life of the Filipino hero.
He also attended a lecture under the historian, Ambeth Ocampo.
Paulo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “One of the things that today’s youth can learn from the film is that heroes are humans, too.
“Like us, they also struggled when it came to carrying overwhelming responsibilities. They might be flawed and imperfect, but they did what they had to do for the country.”
He continued, “We hope the movie will inspire or make people appreciate and love our nation even more.”
“We’re showing a different side of history. We’re showing our heroes and leaders in a different light.
"Understanding our culture, where we came from, is a big and vital part for our journey as a nation. We need to evolve into something better.”
Where to watch: Netflix Philippines
Women of the Weeping River
While not set during the Spanish period nor the Filipino-American War, this 2016 drama film directed by Sheron Dayoc provides a glimpse of local culture and history by capturing the decades-long conflict in the Muslim community in Mindanao.
The film focuses on two women embroiled in a blood feud dating back to many generations.
Sheron tapped non-actors based in Western Mindanao to give the film authenticity and make the narrative stand out.
Women of the Weeping River won critics, praising the film’s courage to touch on a sensitive topic without prejudice.
Adobo Magazine in 2018 wrote a critical review of the movie.
It said, “Make no mistake, Women of the Weeping River is a heavy film. This is not for people who are looking for happy endings or clean resolutions.
"It might take a while to get used to not hearing English or Tagalog, but hearing Tausug from the cast makes the words seem even more raw and true.
“To watch Women of the Weeping River is akin to looking from a window into the lives of these people who have been surrounded by a culture of violence and blood feuds.
"It is brutal, it is painful, it will leave you uncomfortable, and for all of those, it is a film that needed to be made.”
Women of the Weeping River won many awards both in the Philippines and abroad, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director from QCinema International Film Festival, Gawad Urian, War on Screen International Film Festival in Châlons-en-Champagne in France, and Asean-China Film Festival in Malaysia.
Where to watch: TBA Studios YouTube channel
Quezon’s Game
This 2018 biographical drama film narrates how the Philippines through President Manuel Quezon opened its doors to Jews prosecuted by Nazi Germany.
Directed by Matthew Rosen, Quezon’s Game sheds light on the country’s role in providing safe haven to Jews fleeing Adolf Hitler’s oppressive rule.
Surprisingly, not much has been written or documented about this historical event, necessitating thus the writers and Matthew to dig deep to put the story to light.
Raymond Bagatsing portrays Manuel Quezon in the film. Joining him in the cast are Rachel Alejandro, Kate Alejandrino, David Bianco, James Paoleli, Audie Gemora, and Hamilton McLeod.
Quezon’s Game garnered awards from international award-giving bodies, namely, the Cinema World Fest Awards, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and Urduja Heritage Film Awards.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, iWant TFC